Lipoedema patients forgotten by NHS

A woman diagnosed with a painful fat condition called lipoedema said she feels lonely because of a lack of support and understanding that she is not obese.

Lipoedema causes fat to abnormally build-up mainly in the hips, buttocks and legs, leading to a disproportionate shape.

The exact cause of the chronic condition is unknown but it is not from being overweight. It may be caused by changes in hormones, and is believed to affect about 11% of people worldwide.

Mum-of-two Gemma Robinson from Cardiff, spent around £69k on eight surgeries over two years to have 86 litres of lipoedema fat and excess skin removed. She said her legs weighed 11 stone.

The 45-year-old said there was no support from the NHS for patients with her condition other than compression.

Edited by Tink Llewellyn.